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In the fifth place, if Mr Wordsworth really feels all that anxiety for the reputation of Burns which this Letter might lead us to suppose, and if he thinks Dr Currie's Life of the Poet most injurious to his memory, what could have kept him silent for twenty years? Why not come forward boldly and unasked, unsupported either by Mr Gray or Mr Peterkin, to vindicate the slandered reputation of a man of genius? We shall have occasion, by-and-bye, to shew, that his present zeal is of a mixed character, and not altogether free from that egotism for which this gentleman is so disagreeably distinguished.

Having made these preliminary remarks, and cleared our way a little, we now come to the "Letter," which contains some general advices to Gilbert Burns,—some peculiar notions on the subject of biography in general,—some severe charges against Dr Currie,—a sort of critique on the poetical genius of Burns,—a philippic against the Edinburgh Review,—and a panegyric on the author of the Excursion.

First, his advice to Gilbert Burns. The utter dulness, triteness, and absurdity, of this part of the Letter are almost beyond credibility.—"I strenuously recommend, that a concise life of the poet be prefixed from the pen of Gilbert Burns, who has already given public proof how well qualified he is for the undertaking." This is really humorous. What was Mr Wordsworth dreaming about? All this was fixed long ago;—there was no need of any recommendation from him. What would he think of the understanding of a correspondent who should recommend him to go on with his Poem, the Recluse, and who at the same time gave him advice how to write it. "If it be deemed adviseable to reprint Dr Currie's narrative, without striking out such passages as the author, if he were now alive, would probably be happy to efface, let there be notes attached to the most obnoxious of them, in which the misrepresentations may be corrected, and the exaggerations exposed."—What novelty, ingenuity, and profundity of thought! We entreat Mr Gilbert Burns to pay particular attention to this advice; for it may probably not have occurred to him that he must not aid and abet the calumniators of his brother's memory.—"I know no better model as to proportion, and the degree of detail required, nor indeed as to the general execution, than the Life of Milton by Fenian." These three passages are the most important that we could discover; and we hope that Mr Gilbert Burns' gratitude will be in proportion to the value of the advice. The pompous inanity of all this is unaccountable,—and affords a melancholy proof how vanity, self-conceit, arrogance, and presumption, finally undermine the intellect, and can reduce a tolerably strong understanding to the very lowest level. The other advices which he gives form a complete system of mystification. He tells Mr Gilbert Burns to speak the truth,—and that boldly,—but he is not to speak all the truth,—yet he is not told what to conceal;—then he is to consult his conscience;—then he is to beware of undue partiality;—and, finally, "to fix the point to which Burns' moral character had been degraded!"—And here we may remark, that Mr Gilbert Burns had better inform the public what degree of truth there is in the following stanza of Mr Wordsworth, while that gentleman himself will be pleased to shew its consistency with the abuse he throws on Dr Currie, for undisguisedly admitting that Burns was too much addicted to the use of spirits. In an address to the Sons of Burns, Mr Wordsworth thus speaks of their deceased father:—

Mr Wordsworth himself has here said, in miserable doggrel, what Dr Currie has said in elegant prose.

The second part of the Letter contains Mr Wordsworth's notions on biography, and these we think, if modified and qualified, tolerably rational and judicious, though delivered with a most laughable solemnity and true Wordsworthian self-importance. He wishes to say, that biographers have no right to lay before the world the habits, customs, and private characters, of literary men; and that such information makes no part of their duty. He thus oracularly speaks: